Pay-TV providers elicit most swearing

A study by US advertising analytics company Marchex Institute has revealed that pay-TV providers rank among the highest businesses that elicit profanity-laced tirades from consumers who flip out and curse when on the phone with a business.

Writing in the company blog, John Busby, Senior Vice President, Marchex Institute, notes that of 20 industries surveyed that rely on consumer phone calls and had a diversity of national or local businesses, satellite TV providers – with 1 in every 82 conversations most likely to elicit a curse came top, with housing contractors second on 90, with cable providers ranking third on 123. By contrast, the 20th-ranked business – veterinary – rated as low as 1 in 2,634 calls.

“We conclude that television providers prompt consumer ire for two reasons,” wrote Busby. “First, long hold times are frustrating and some of the cursing the study detected was during these wait times. Second, consumers don’t appreciate being surprised about price or level of service and want products and services with easy-to-understand pricing.”